The 3rd edition of Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities highlights the many advances in the field of seed ecology and its relationship to plant community dynamics that have taken place in recent years. The new edition also features chapters on seed development and morphology, seed chemical ecology, implications of climate change on regeneration by seed, and the functional role of seed banks in agricultural and natural ecosystems. The book is aimed at advanced level students and researchers in the fields of seed science, seed ecology and plant ecology.
Contributors
Preface
Overview of Seed Development, Anatomy and Morphology
1. Fruits and Frugivory
2. The Ecology of Seed Dispersal
3. Seed Predators and Plant Population Dynamics
4. Light-Mediated Germination
5. The Chemical Environment in the Soil Seed Bank
6. Seed Dormancy
7. The Chemical Ecology of Seed Persistence in Soil Seed Banks
8. Effects of Climate Change on Regeneration by Seeds
9. Functional Role of the Soil Seed Bank in Agricultural Ecosystems
10. Functional Role of the Soil Bank in Natural Communities
Index
Robert S. Gallagher is an agricultural consultant and a former Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Review of the 2nd edition:
"Fenner (biological sciences, U. of Southampton, UK) notes that one of the joys of seed ecology is that much research in the field can still be carried out without sophisticated technology or techniques. Four new chapters expand coverage of the 1992 text on plant reproductive ecology to include advances in understanding the evolutionary ecology of seed size, seedling establishment, and the roles of fire and gaps in regeneration. The 16 chapters by international experts also cover such topics as maternal effects on seeds during development, the role of temperature in regulation of seed dormancy and germination, and the contribution of seedling regeneration to the structure and dynamics of plant communities and ecosystems. Suitable for graduate or advanced undergraduate students."
– SciTech Book News